Posts Tagged: Robbin Thorp
The Story Behind This Bumble Bee Pollen Load
What a treat to find not one--but five yellow-faced bumble bees (Bombus vosnesenskii) foraging on a...
Yellow-faced bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii, packing a mixed load of pollen from the flowers near her. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The mixed pollen load is highly visible here: the female Bombus vosnesenskii is foraging on rosemary, but her load indicates she previously visited California golden poppy, oxais, wild radish and mustard. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Coming in for a landing--a bumble bee ballet. This is the yellow-faced bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Got 'em!
"Got 'em!" That's the message we've all been waiting for. Several of us bumble bee...
Bumble bee, Bombus melanopygus, foraging in manzanita on Feb. 12. (Photo by Allan Jones)
Bumble bee, Bombus melanopygus, takes flight over a manzanita on Feb. 12. (Photo by Allan Jones)
An early Bombus sighting! Photographer Allan Jones of Davis grabbed this shot of a yellow-faced bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii, in manzanitas on Feb. 12. (Photo by Allan Jones)
Real Reason for Flowers? It's All About Sex
You could say that noted entomologist/author Stephen Buchmann has a thing for buds, bees, beetles...
Entomologist Stephen Buchmann talks about the nests of carpenter bees at The Bee Course, an annual summer workshop in Arizona sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History. (Photo courtesy of Robbin Thorp)
Going Native
Honey bees aren't the only bees out foraging. We saw our first native bee of the season on Jan. 25...
Female sweat bee, Halictus rubicundus, foraging Jan. 25 at the Benicia Capitol State Park. Note the tiny wasp, which appears to be a bethylid.(Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The head of the sweat bee,Halictus rubicundus. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The female sweat bee, Halictus rubicundus, prepars for take-off. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Learning About Native Bees with The Experts
Oh, what a treasure to bee-hold! If you've ever visited UC Berkeley's Hastings Natural History...
A yellow-faced bumble bee nectaring on vetch in May 2015 at Hastings Natural History Reserve. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A yellow-faced bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii, heads for vetch at the Hastings Natural History Reserve. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This yellow-faced bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenkii, is a whirl of anticipation as it nears lupine at the Hastings Natural History Reserve. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Blue sky, vetch, a yellow-faced bumbe bee and all's right with the world. This photo was taken in May 2015 at the Hastings Natural History Reserve. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)